On this second weekend of Easter we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. All of our readings this weekend have this theme about trusting in the mercy and goodness of Jesus.
Our reading from Acts of the Apostle s reflects on how the early Christian community shared things in common as a means of demonstrating a trust in the mercy of Jesus who through his disciples would take care of the needs of their growing community.The Psalm response reminds us that the love of God is “everlasting”.The reading from 1 John reminds us that that the Spirit testifies to the “truth” born from the water and blood which is a reference to that which flowed from the side of Jesus during the crucifixion.Lastly we have these acts of mercy by Jesus by giving his disciples the power to forgive sins as well as encouraging Thomas to overcome his disbelief by probing his wounds
I thought this weekend might also be a good time to reflect on Saint Faustina. “Saint Faustina was a young, uneducated nun in a convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland during the 1930s. She came from a poor family that struggled during the years of World War I. She had only three years of simple education, so hers were the humblest tasks in the convent, usually in the kitchen or garden. However, she received extraordinary revelations — or messages — from our Lord Jesus.
Though the Divine Mercy message is not new to the teachings of the Church, Sr. Faustina’s Diary sparked a great movement, and a strong and significant focus on the mercy of Christ. Saint John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina in 2000 making her the “first saint of the new millennium.” Speaking of Sr. Faustina and the importance of the message contained in her Diary, the Pope called her “the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time.”
Today, we continue to rely of St. Faustina as a constant reminder of the message to trust in Jesus’ endless mercy, and to live life mercifully toward others. We also turn to her in prayer and request her intercession to our merciful Savior on our behalf. There is a National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy
This message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina who in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.
The message and devotional practices proposed in the Diary of Saint Faustina are completely in accordance with the teachings of Church and are firmly rooted in the Gospel message of our Merciful Savior. Properly understood and implemented, they will help us grow as genuine followers of Christ.
Personally I am deeply moved by St Faustina’s prayer for the Healing of the family tree which we will pray this Sunday from 2:30 to 3:30 pm here at St Rose as part of our Divine Mercy Holy Hour. I hope you will consider joining Father Mark and myself.
Jesus I trust in you.
Source information St Faustina from https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message